Prizes Awarded at 2021 Sphinx Competition

24-year-old Venezuelan-born violinist Samuel Abraham Vargas Teixeira is the first prize winner in the senior division of the 2021 Sphinx Competition

A student of Sergiu Schwartz at Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music, Samuel will receive the US $50,000 Robert Frederick Smith Prize plus invitations to make a number of significant solo debuts. 

The second and third prizes in this year’s senior division were awarded to bassist Christian Gray and cellist Luis Fernando Venturelli.

First prize in the 17 years and under junior division was awarded to 12-year-old violinist Amaryn Olmeda. Second and third prizes were presented to violinist Jonathan Okseniuk and violist Dillon Scott.

Detroit-based, the Sphinx Organization is a U.S.-based non-profit organization dedicated to diversifying the arts.

“These are the artists and leaders who are shaping the present and the future of the classical music industry,” Sphinx Organization President and Artistic Director Afa Dworkin this week told The Violin Channel. “What a privilege we have to support their careers and build a network so that they may innovate and collaborate.” 

In this year’s semi-final round, additional Achievement Awards were presented to cellist Brandon Leonard and violinist Paul Aguilar. 

The 2021 jury comprised: Jennifer Arnold, Joel Krosnick, Tai Murray, Philippe Quint, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Matthew Van Besien, and VC Artist Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt.

Full performances available at www.dptv.org/sphinx and Sphinx Organization's site.